The large growth in document copying activity is well known and there has been a continuing need for more efficient, more convenient and lower cost means for making copies. Within a broad range of types of documents to be reproduced there is information contained on sheets of translucent material, such as microfilm cards.
Heretofore, copies of translucent documents, such as microfilm card originals or "masters", have been made in various ways including the manual feeding of exposure devices and developing devices, and recently by automatic devices which expose, develop and cut a web of copy material on a step-and-repeat basis. Generally such automatic machines have had large physical dimensions and power requirements and have been costly to purchase and operate.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a relatively low cost means for automatically producing copies of a translucent master sheet.
Another object of the invention is to provide a compact, table-top device than can automatically produce multiple copies of a translucent master sheet.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a device capable of exposing, cutting and developing sensitized copy material on a continuous flow basis without intermittent starting and stopping.
Other objects of the invention will be obvious and some appear hereinafter.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of element, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereafter set forth.